Egrets have been a continuing problem for several Dallas-area cities in recent years, and now some of the migratory birds have been spotted on East Sandy Lake Road, near Starleaf Street and the St. Joseph Village retirement center in Coppell before the nesting season gets underway. Federal law prohibits officials from taking action against egrets once they begin to nest in an area.

(MEREDITH SHAMBURGER
)

Food in Plano is different today than it was nearly 12 years ago when Jörg Fercher first opened his German and Austrian restaurant on 15th Street. “There was nothing here,” said Fercher, owner of Jörg’s Cafe Vienna. But today, thanks in part to the city efforts, restaurant owners, such as Jill Bergus of the soon-to-open Lockhart Smokehouse, say Plano is a great place for unique food concepts.

(ROSE BACA)

On Jan. 23 volunteers in Allen, Frisco, McKinney and Plano spread out to survey people living in cars, day-to-day hotels and shelters. But the annual count is an inexact science, homeless advocates say. The numbers are “always too low,” said Lynne Sipiora, executive director of The Samaritan Inn. In 2013, the count revealed 423 homeless individuals in Collin County. Actual numbers may be as much as 10 times as high.

The Four Corners and the Shops at Branch Crossing grew initially at Valley View and Josey lanes, but retail interest declined after 1980 because of up-and-coming cities such as Richardson, Plano and Frisco. But with the help of the city and the economic development and tourism department’s Commercial Facade Revitalization Program, the retail hub is beginning to see a turnaround.

(ROSE BACA)

The Mesquite Public Library, which opened in 1964, turns 50 in February. The system started out as a concept 75 years ago, and was the brainchild of 25 women in the Mesquite Woman’s Club. Through the years, the system grew from 20,000 to 200,000 books. “The woman’s group was constantly seeing the need for cultural things in the community,” said Jeannie Johnson, Mesquite library services director.

(ROSE BACA)

When former classmates Shaun Moore and Nezare Chafni graduated from Southern Methodist University, they went their separate ways to pursue their careers. Continents apart, the two began plotting a joint venture, and in 2012, the new business partners came up with the concept for Chui, a “smart doorbell” with facial recognition technology. Chui was featured at the International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas earlier this month.

(ROSE BACA)

A great green orc lumbers through the MCL Grand Theater building in Lewisville, hoisting an ax splattered with red paint over his shoulder. He removes his fangs to speak, revealing he is actually Denton resident Gabriel Guerrero, participating in Helio-Con Sunday. Aside from its location, Helio-Con stands out for its organizers -- like-minded members of a Flower Mound synagogue that go by the name The Legion of Extraordinary Jews.

(CHRIS DERRETT)

Janice Hill has dedicated almost half her life to running Texas Traditions in Rockwall’s downtown. For the last decade, she’s waited for the city to repair the area’s insufficient parking and uneven sidewalks. Soon, the city plans to break ground on Phase II of its $8.6 million bond project to revitalize downtown. Rowlett’s downtown will get a boost, too, with construction to capitalize on the new DART rail station.

(ROSE BACA)

Tucked inside the former Bayles Elementary School campus on Laughlin Drive is a space filled with creative promise. The Creative Arts Center of Dallas, which started in 1965, offers classes from stone sculpting to ceramics, metalwork to drawing and just about everything in between. “We’re deeply ingrained in the community,” said Diana Pollack, the center’s director. “We have people who have taken classes here for 20 years."

(ANANDA BOARDMAN)

Last fall, Cindie Ngomege and four other L.V. Berkner High School students decided to craft an African dance routine to perform in a school dance competition. After hours of practice and enlisting the help of chemistry teacher and Nigerian native Adaobi Umeaku, the girls won. This semester, Umeaku held tryouts to start an official Berkner African Dance Crew, the only group of its type currently active in Richardson ISD.